27 of The Best Staycation Ideas for Summer 2023

No time, budget, or too many restrictions for a summer holiday? We feel you, and that’s why we’ve created this list with a few staycation ideas that will help you make the best of your time. The staycation ideas we’ve selected are suitable to the whole family, but also young people, and are location independent, meaning that no matter where you’re located, you can do these things yourself and have the best staycation of your life.

Use the Table of Contents below or jump straight to the idea you like!

Read Also: 8 Essential Travel Accessories to Travel Safely in 2023

What Does Staycation Mean?

Staycation comes from the combination of two words, “stay” and “vacation,” literally staying at home and participating in leisure activities within driving distance of their home. A staycation may or may not require spending the night out.

What’s the Benefit of a Staycation?

Many people think that staying close to home or staying at home cannot consider a holiday, but this is not true at all. Staycations are a type of holiday and are extremely useful when one has a tight budget. A staycation is also perfect when travel restrictions are in place. Also, when we don’t have time or interest in traveling abroad, we don’t want to cope with the stress that can go along with travel.

How Can I Make Sure People Know I’m On Holiday?

This is the trickiest part: people may not think you’re on holiday just because you didn’t go far from home. It’s up to you to educate them and introduce measures to disconnect you from the daily routine completely. One of these measures could be turning off your smartphones, not checking emails, and working tools.

How Can I Make Sure I Relax, Detox, and Have Fun?

It would be best if you considered your staycation like a proper vacation: disconnect your phone, don’t set up your alarm clock, don’t bother reading office news. And make sure you treat yourself to experiences you would gladly make also if you were abroad: an ice cream if you’re on a diet, a pizza if you’re on a low-carb diet, and so on.

How Long Does a Staycation Last?

Well, as long as you like. It can be just one day, or a weekend, or even a week or 14 days. If it replaces your summer or winter vacation, then it can be longer. The longest it is, the more you can do! But the longer it is, the more you need to plan it to avoid getting bored.

27 The Best Staycation Ideas for Any Budget in 2023

1. Play Tourist in Your Hometown

Is there a museum you’ve always wanted to visit? Is there a district you’ve never explored? Is there a newly-opened attraction you want to check? Please do it! Rediscover the best parts of your hometown and explore the unknown: this may lead to unique experiences and encounters.

2. Try a New Fitness Class

If you were going on holiday abroad, you would probably have tried something new. You can do the same in your city, by trying a new fitness class, something that stimulates your mind or something you’ve always wanted to try. It could be a Bellydance course, or a Zumba class, or even a martial arts class. Whatever it is, make sure it’s new to you!

3. Go on a Local Hike

You don’t have to live up in the hills or the mountains to go for a hike: a park can do it, and basically, every place where nature is everything can do it. There’s no need to feel any pressure: make sure you enjoy the environment and do not feel the need to set new hiking records. Relax!

4. Book a Spa Day

Put in some time at your local spa for a massage or a full package: you can go alone, or book a spa day with your partner or also with your family. In every city, there are facilities for every person where to enjoy a spa day if this is not the best way to spend your home holiday.

5. Plan Fun Activities

The concept of “fun activities” is extraordinarily subjective, but the options are almost infinite. Whether it is a kayak tour or spending the day at a water park, there’s no shortage of options. Choose the one you prefer, and have fun!

6. Visit Your Favorite Local Restaurants

Supporting the local economy is needed, and hospitality is one of the most vulnerable industries. Take time to acknowledge your local restaurants, spend time eating there, and support them. Remember: if you’re staycationing, they’re working, so make sure you’re always nice and supportive.

7. Visit New Local Restaurants

During your staycation, make sure you schedule at least a visit to one of the new local restaurants: check the reviews on Google, talk with your friends, and pick up the one you want to visit. It may become one of your favorites, who knows?

8. Volunteer at your local charity

A staycation may not rime with volunteering, but it can be seen as a moment to give back. Giving back is a great way to remind us all of how much we have and how lucky we are: treat your staycation as your chance to give back to the community.

9. Book a Personal Cooking Lesson

So, you’ve saved some money, and you want to treat yourself and your family during your staycation: book a private cooking lesson with a chef and learn to cook. You may plan an Italian-theme night, or a Mexican-theme night, for example. It’s a fun experience, for sure.

10. Host a (Smart) Party

Hosting a party may not seem a lot like something you would do on a staycation because at the end of the day you want to relax during your time. Play smart, then: host a party and ask your guest to bring each something. You will end up not cooking, having people around, and having fun without leaving your home.

11. Have a Picnic in the Park

Despite being an everyday activity in movies and tv series, having a picnic in the park is not something that people usually do. So do it: you can buy a full set or fill a bag with a blanket, some glasses, plates, and cutleries, stack it with food and wine, and spend the day at the park!

12. Go to a Hotel in your Town for the Night

Why not scouting for the best offers on hotels in town and booking a night? It may sound weird, but this is one of the best things to do during your staycation: hotels tend to reduce their rates for the day if they don’t sell out, and who can avail of these if not the people who already live in the city and want to do something different? Imagine having access to a hotel breakfast the morning after.

13. Plant a Tent in Your Backyard

Do you have children? Then plant a tent in your backyard and let them have a night (or two, or even more) in, pretending they are summer camping: you can go even further and build a fire, roast s’ mores, and tell scary stories. Or you can let the kids out in the tent alone to have fun while you enjoy your staycation as a couple for a few hours.

14. Visit an Amusement Park

Amusement Parks may not be for everyone, but if you are into them, visit the closest one and enjoy it. Lots of parks offer admission discounts if you buy online or if you are local, so make sure you check what’s going on and plan accordingly.

15. Set Up a Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are not just for kids, and they are a great way to spend some time while staycationing. You can play with your friends, your family, or only your children: plant treasures around your neighborhood or even your house, give people a clue that leads them to the next one, and have fun!

16. Hit the Beach

If you’re fortunate enough to live near the sea, take advantage of it and spend as much time as you can at the beach. Hitting the beach is one of the best staycation ideas. Even if you’re used to going to your local beach, and it’s not that big of a deal for you, you can always make it more interesting: pick up a different location, go exploring, and treat it like if you were on a tropical island.

17. Hit the Pool

If it’s too hot and you don’t live near the sea, hit the closest pool. The best thing to do would be choosing a hotel pool to avoid the crowd and rally enjoy your day, but communal pools can work as well. Grab a magazine, a towel, a cocktail, and you’re all set for the day!

18. Host a Movie Night

Have a movie marathon at home, whether it’s just for yourself or open to friends and family: you can pick up a theme and run a few movies, or go for only one film. Amazon Prime Video is a great resource, and so are Netflix and Apple TV. Make sure to complete your movie night is with snacks, of course!

19. Try Something New

The best part of staying at home is having the time to try something new: ideally, you should go for something that somehow intimidates you and can challenge you. Whether it is a rope course or a cooking class, trying something new is a fun way to spend your staycation, and the options are unlimited.

20. Walk Free Around the City

For the majority of us, walking around the city means to have a destination to reach. Change your game during your staycation: start walking without having a specific goal in mind. You will open up to new experiences and discoveries!

21. Learn New Recipes

Cooking is one of the funniest activities ever, but every day can become tiring and not challenging anymore. Use your staycation to learn new recipes, challenge yourself with a different type of food, have fun with ingredients you’ve never tried. Grab your laptop or tablet and follow a cooking class, then apply what you’ve learned and enjoy!

22. Learn New Skills

Even if a traditional vacation is a way to relax and detox, we could also use our staycation to learn new skills. One should not feel pressured to learn something by imposition, but as a way to relax by doing something different and useful: you may learn how to code, for example, or how to sew or learning the basics of Korean beauty. And this could also lead to life and career changes, who knows?

23. Discover Local Producers

If you are into food and are also into the idea of community, use your staycation to find and discover new local producers: it could be a new small brewery, a cheese maker, or a bakery. Supporting local small businesses is essential for them but also for us as consumers because locally grown food tastes better, and it is healthier.

24. Start Your Own DYI Project

Pick a project that is not crazily expensive and start working on it: it could be painting your fence or just rearranging the furniture in your room. Anything that will allow you to see a change in your daily life. The reward associated with starting and completing your own DYI is immense.

25. Take a Food Tour

Food traveling is one of the biggest trends worldwide, and it’s one of the best ways to discover a place. You may think you know everything about your city, but there’s certainly something you don’t know or food places you don’t remember: take a food tour and discover your city, or nearby cities, from a food perspective. You can organize your food tour by yourself or book a tour lead by expert guides if you want to have a better view of everything.

26. Sleep

Yes, you’ve read well: sleep, just like you would do if you’re were on holiday somewhere else. Sleeping is a fundamental activity of every holiday, and it has to be considered in the same way even when you’re staycationing. Deactivate your alarm clock, sleep in for as long as you like, and don’t feel guilty at all: sleeping is a respectable and well-deserved activity!

27. Explore the World from Home

So you haven’t left your house, but you still want to travel and explore? Do it from your home, by booking online tours and experiences that will make you feel like in another country. A fun, cheap, and excellent way to travel from the comfort of your home!

We hope that this list with the 27 best staycation ideas will give you ideas on what to do this summer and how to spend your time vacationing at home!

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